ONS statistics reveal increase in average pay

14 August 2015

In the April to June 2015 UK labour market report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), pay for employees in the private sector increased by 2.4% including bonuses compared with the same time last year.

The previous quarter from March to May 2015 showed a bigger growth in average pay at 3.2% and with the unemployment rate from April to June 2015 increasing by 1%, media reports are suggesting that the second successive rise in UK unemployment suggests Britain's spectacular jobs growth could be 'levelling off'

Comparing April to June 2015 with a year earlier, pay for employees in Great Britain increased by 2.4% including bonuses and by 2.8% excluding bonuses.

There were 31.03 million people in work, 63,000 fewer than for January to March 2015 but 354,000 more than for a year earlier.

There were 22.76 million people working full-time, 352,000 more than for a year earlier. There were 8.27 million people working part-time, little changed compared with a year earlier.

The employment rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 who were in work) was 73.4%, little changed compared with January to March 2015 but higher than for a year earlier (72.8%).

There were 1.85 million unemployed people (people not in work but seeking and available to work), 25,000 more than for January to March 2015 but 221,000 fewer than for a year earlier.

There were 1.01 million unemployed men, 130,000 fewer than for a year earlier. There were 838,000 unemployed women, 92,000 fewer than for a year earlier.

The unemployment rate was 5.6%, little changed compared with January to March 2015 but lower than for a year earlier (6.3%). The unemployment rate is the proportion of the labour force (those in work plus those unemployed) who were unemployed.

There were 8.99 million people aged from 16 to 64 who were economically inactive (not working and not seeking or available to work), little changed compared with January to March 2015 and with a year earlier.

The inactivity rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 who were economically inactive) was 22.1%, little changed compared with January to March 2015 and with a year earlier.